


Black and Gray Meowrality

by dontrush



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Gen, Hivebent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-29
Updated: 2013-03-29
Packaged: 2017-12-06 21:42:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/740471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dontrush/pseuds/dontrush
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>"Your name is Nepeta Leijon, and your OTP has just been sunk. What will you do?"</em>
</p>
<p>In which the fact that her best friend started dating her crush somehow manages to be only the third most shocking discovery Nepeta makes that day.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Black and Gray Meowrality

gallowsCalibrator [GC] began trolling arsenicCatnip [AC]

GC: *GC UNC3R3MON1OUSLY SCR4P3S 4 T4LON 4CROSS TH3 W4LL OF YOUR C4V3 R3L34S1NG 4 T3RR1FY1NG SCR33CH*   
GC: *CR4N1NG H3R H34D M1GHT1LY SH3 R3L34S3S 4N 3V3N MOR3 T3RR1FY1NG SCR33CH W1TH H3R M1GHTY 4ND L3TS NOT FORG3T T3RR1FY1NG VOC4L CHORDS*   
AC: :33 < *ac gets woken up by the purretty dragon lady*   
AC: :33 < *hopping out of her recupurracoon she wipes the sopor from her eyes with the backs of her paws*   
GC: W41T D1D 1 4CTU4LLY W4K3 YOU UP P3ST3R1NG YOU   
AC: :33 < (youre supposed to use parentheses when youre speaking out of character terezi!)   
AC: :33 < (and yes you did but its alright)   
GC: (OH SORRY 4BOUT TH4T)   
GC: (ON BOTH FRONTS)   
GC: (UHHH)   
GC: (4CTU4LLY COULD W3 M4YB3 H4V3 4 T4LK OUT OF CH4R4CT3R)   
GC: (1V3 GOT SOM3TH1NG TO T3LL YOU)   
AC: :33 < why didnt you just say so silly!   
AC: :33 < of course i can talk with you :33   
GC: OK4Y COOL   
GC: 1 GU3SS 1 OP3N3D W1TH RP1NG TO...   
GC: 34S3 YOU 1NTO WH4T 1 H4D TO S4Y   
GC: THOUGH 1T W3NT B3TT3R 1N MY H34D   
AC: :33 < well thanks fur being so considerate terezi!   
AC: :33 < its b33n a while since the last time i rped with anyone   
AC: :33 < ive just b33n so busy playing sgrub   
GC: WH4TV3 YOU B33N UP TO?   
AC: :33 < hanging out with equius mostly   
GC: >:/   
AC: :33 < he isnt that bad you know   
GC: L4ST T1M3 W3 T4LK3D YOU S41D YOU W3R3 4FR41D OF H1M   
AC: :33 < thats only beclaws i hadnt met him yet   
AC: :33 < he might s33m scary over the internet   
AC: :33 < but in real life hes kind of a huge dork   
AC: :33 < and now that weve met in purrson i can calm him down much more effectively   
GC: TH4TS GOOD TO H34R   
AC: :33 < i still cant get him to rp with me though :((   
GC: L4M3 >:P   
AC: :33 < but he might be starting to warm up to it!   
AC: :33 < you nefur know with him   
GC: 1M HON3STLY SURPR1S3D YOUR3 4BL3 TO PUT UP W1TH TH4T GUY   
GC: H3S S33MS L1K3 SUCH 4 TOOL   
GC: SH1T SORRY 1 M34NT "T001" H3H3H3   
AC: :33 < hes not that bad!   
AC: :33 < i get what you mean though   
AC: :33 < and i dont s33 what his problem with roleplaying is   
AC: :33 < i mean   
AC: :33 < even karkitty humors me once in a while!   
GC: W41T S3R1OUSLY   
AC: :33 < yeah!   
AC: :33 < he does it all angry and mockingly   
AC: :33 < but he still does it!   
GC: WOW   
GC: TH4TS 4CTU4LLY K1ND OF 4DOR4BL3   
GC: H3H 1 JUST 4SK3D H1M 4BOUT 1T 4ND H3S G3TT1NG 4LL D3F3NS1V3 OV3R TH3 WHOL3 TH1NG   
AC: :33 < youre trolling him right now?   
GC: UHHHH   
GC: K1ND OF   
AC: :33 < you think you could maybe...   
AC: :33 < copy and paste what hes saying?   
GC: 1 WOULD BUT 1 C4NT   
AC: :33 < why not?   
GC: B3C4US3 1M SORT4 TROLL1NG H1M 1N P3RSON   
AC: :33 < oh   
AC: :33 < you met up with him already?   
GC: Y34H   
GC: QU1TE 4 F3W T1M3S 4CTU4LLY   
AC: :33 < that makes sense i guess   
AC: :33 < you are his server player after all!   
GC: 3X4CTLY   
GC: H3 SHOULD B3 GL4D H3 GOT 4 COOL S3RV3R L1K3 M3   
GC: 1NST34D OF TH3 ON3 YOU 3ND3D UP W1TH   
AC: :33 < yeah   
AC: :33 < furgive me for not f33ling up to the task of visiting hell murder planet or the cr33py prince who reigns over it   
GC: PR1NC3?   
AC: :33 < i speak of mister ampurra of course   
GC: OH R1GHT TH4TS H1S T1TL3 1SNT 1T   
GC: 1M ST1LL SURPR1S3D H3 TR13D TO H1T ON YOU L1K3 TH4T   
AC: :33 < are you terezi   
AC: :33 < are you   
GC: ...   
GC: YOUR3 R1GHT H3 TOT4LLY WOULD DO TH4T   
AC: :33 < h33h33   
AC: :33 < well that ship isnt sailing any time soon thats fur sure   
GC: H3H3H3   
GC: UH   
GC: SP34K1NG OF SH1PS   
GC: TH4TS K1ND OF WH4T 1 W4NT3D TO T4LK TO YOU 4BOUT   
AC: :33 < really?   
AC: :33 < well why didnt you just say so sooner!   
AC: :33 < has one of my ships become canon???   
GC: 1M 4 B1T H3S1T4NT TO S4Y 1T BUT 1 B3L13V3 SO   
AC: :33 < sw33t!!!!!!!   
AC: :33 < oh please let it be karkan please let it be karkan   
GC: WHO4 W41T 4 S3COND   
GC: YOU SH1P K4RK4T W1TH K4N4Y4 >:?   
AC: :33 < and you wouldnt?   
AC: :33 < you cant tell me they wouldnt be PURRFECT moirails   
GC: OHHHHHHH   
GC: 1 4SSUM3D YOU M34NT 4S M4T3SPR1TS   
GC: FOR SOM3 R34SON >:/   
GC: BUT NO TH4TS NOT TH3 SH1P 1 H4D 1N M1ND   
AC: :33 < well then which one is it?   
GC: 1TS.....   
GC: UH...............   
GC: K4RK4T   
GC: 4ND M3   
GC: FLUSH3D   
AC: :33 < uhhhhhhhhhhhhh

You take a break from hitting the 'h' key over and over in a dazed stupor and the room stops spinning long enough for you to gather your thoughts. Red Karezi is canon. Karkat has a matesprit now. And that matesprit, in spite of your all of your hopes and dreams, is not you.

Your name is Nepeta Leijon, and your OTP has just been sunk. What will you do?

...A silly question to ask yourself, all things considered. There's not really anything you _can_ do, other than congratualate Terezi on a fine catch.

You heave a deep sigh and muster the courage to face this development head on.

GC: N3P3T4   
GC: YOU ST1LL TH3R3?   
AC: :33 < yep i sure am and i think its wonderful   
GC: YOU DO   
AC: :33 < yes i do!   
AC: :33 < im sure youll make him happy   
AC: :33 < and karkat deserves someone like that!   
GC: 4ND YOUR3 F1N3 W1TH TH4T P3RSON B31NG M3   
AC: :33 < uh huh   
GC: WH3W   
GC: FOR SOM3 R34SON 1 W4SNT SUR3 HOW YOUD R34CT   
GC: 1 4LMOST D1DNT T3LL YOU   
GC: HON3STLY 1M NOT SUR3 WHY 1 D1D   
GC: BUT 1M GL4D 1T W4S 4 NON 1SSU3   
AC: :33 < yeah...   
AC: :33 < uh terezi?   
GC: Y34H   
AC: :33 < how did it...happen?   
GC: W3LL   
GC: W3V3 B33N H4NG1NG OUT 4ND F1GHT1NG 1MPS TOG3TH3R ON H1S PL4N3T   
GC: TH3N SOM3 OTH3R STUFF H4PP3N3D.............   
GC: W3 GOT S3P4R4T3D 4 WH1L3 4GO 4ND 1 W4SNT SUR3 WH3TH3R W3 W3R3 S3R1OUS OR NOT   
AC: :33 < what do you mean?   
GC: FOR 4LL TH4T T4LK 4BOUT B31NG 4 "M4ST3R OF TH3 QU4DR4NTS"   
GC: H3S 4 TOT4L W1GGL3R WH3N 1T COM3S TO 4DMITT1NG H1S F33L1NGS   
AC: :33 < heh   
AC: :33 < i guess i could s33 that   
AC: :33 < we all have our problems when it comes to romance   
AC: :33 < thats why shipping is such a hard job!   
GC: H4H4H4 GOOD TH1NG W3V3 GOT SUCH 4N 3XP3RT ON TH3 SUBJ3CT   
GC: FOR WH4T 1TS WORTH 1 WOULDNT W4NT 4NYON3 3LS3 ON TH3 JOB   
AC: :33 < aww thanks!   
AC: :33 < so...   
AC: :33 < did he ever actually admit it to you   
GC: 1T TOOK 4 LOOOOOOT OF POK1NG 4ND PRODD1NG   
GC: BUT H3 SORT4 C4M3 4ROUND 3V3NTU4LLY   
AC: :33 < sorta?   
GC: W3LL...TH3 WORD "M4T3SPR1T" N3V3R 4CTU4LLY C4M3 UP BUT H3 D1D TYP3 4 H34RT 4T M3   
GC: ONLY 4FT3R 1 TYP3D ON3 4T H1M THOUGH >:/   
AC: :33 < oh   
AC: :33 < well terezi in this shippers expurrt opinion   
AC: :33 < if exchanging hearts over trollian doesnt make a ship canon then i dont know what does!   
GC: TH4NKS N3P3T4 >:]   
GC: K4RKL3S 1S BOTH3R1NG M3 NOW SO 1LL H4V3 TO L3T YOU GO   
GC: SORRY 4G41N 4BOUT 1NT3RRUPT1NG YOUR N4P   
AC: :33 < no purroblem   
AC: :33 < have fun with karkat   
GC: 1LL TRY >;]

gallowsCalibrator [GC] ceased trolling arsenicCatnip [AC]

So the word matesprit didn't come up, uh? You almost saw a glimmer of hope then. Sadly, you weren't merely reassuring Terezi when you said you believed an exchange of <3's in a chatlog comprised an affirmative ship confirmation. Oh well. It looks like your shipping wall is in need of updating. It is a major commitment keeping up with all your ships, but it is worth it. 

You'd like to say your matchmaking acumen couldn't see this one coming, but you'd only be kidding yourself. Searching the matesprit section of your wall, you attempt to locate the picture you drew of the two of them holding hands. 

That's odd. You can't seem to find it: maybe you really didn't see this one coming. 

No, no. You saw the possibility. You guess you didn't want to acknowledge it, and didn't put it on your wall so you could go on convincing yourself that the possibility was only a remote one. Maybe you were happier believing that. Well, no use in being down about it; there's always room for one more ship on your wall. You pick up a paintbrush and go below the matesprit section looking for blank space. 

That's strange. You remember there being more space there. And you definitely don't remember drawing _that._ What is that anyway? You take a closer look at the strange pictures occupying your wall.

"B-Blackrom???" 

Sure enough, right below the matespritships on your shipping wall are row after row of caliginous pairings that were never there before. WEIRD. Their bizarre nature is morbidly fascinating to you for a couple of reasons. You wonder, first of all, who drew them. It wasn't you, as you've never given much thought to black romance, thinking the concept of relationships built on animosity to be silly. Whoever did it certainly did a good job of copying your drawing style, though.

The second thing you start to wonder is what the hell they were thinking. Most of these pairings don't make any sense! You survey them, left to right: Equius <3< Gamzee (is Gamzee even capable of hate?), Aradia <3< Tavros (but they're friends!), Kanaya <3< Feferi (wait, what?!?)...

Your eyes freeze over one in particular. Two trolls are locked in a hatesnog the likes of which you've never seen before. It takes you a few seconds to process it, but you finally realize that the two trolls are Karkat and Terezi. That alone would be horrifying enough, but then you notice the text underneath reading, "fingers crossed! >;33" Your mind races, trying to comprehend it all.

They're matesprits now! Who could wish something like that upon them? They do bicker quite a bit on Karkat's memos, so you guess you can see where this mystery vandal copycat blackrom shipper is coming from. And it _would_ be like Terezi to get bored with a plain red relationship and start vacillating. And if she would give up that easily, then she doesn't deserve to be his kismesis OR his matesprit.

Wait, what? Did you seriously just think that thought? She's your friend! You may have a crush on Karkat, but Terezi deserves her chance to be happy with him. So where the hell did this anger come from, this bitterness you suddenly find rising within you? Panicking, you look away from the black ships, trying to find something else to distract you from your own thoughts. Your eyes catch on yet another unfamiliar sight, this one beneath the moirail section of your shipping wall.

"Ashen, too?!?"

Right next to the caliginous pairings are a group of drawings depicting sets of three trolls in auspisticisms. Just as cautiously intrigued as you were before, you glance from picture to picture, and finally recognize yourself among them. Looking closer, the drawing depicts Kanaya auspisticising between you and Terezi. 

Okay, this is officially not funny anymore and SUPER officially weirding you out.

Shuddering, you reach forward to touch it, hoping it might give under your hand and disappear leaving only wall, like a mirage. It remains, however, and you find yourself oddly relieved that it was real. The alternative would imply that it was all in your mind, after all. Since it's real, you know it _must_ have been someone else that came up with all these awful ships. 

The cave is cold to the touch. You drag your calloused hand from right to left, across the coarse wall, through the ashen and black ships. You halt when you notice yourself smearing one of them. Pulling your hand back and holding it before your face, you find black paint on your fingertips. The paint on this one drawing has not fully dried yet, putting the time the culprit did this sometime during the nap you just had. On further examination, you notice you only partially smeared the picture, which is still largely legible. It is labeled "fuck yesssss" and depicts you, claws equipped, ripping a certain seadweller's clothes.

" _Eridan._ " You spit his name contemptuously. It all makes sense now. HE did it. He must not be over the fact that you rejected him, and now he is mocking you by messing with your shipping wall. He could've done it all from the comfort of his hive, since he's your server player.

Well, he's had his fun, but you won't be putting up with it anymore. You're about to give him a piece of your mind!

arsenicCatnip [AC] began trolling caligulasAquarium [CA]

AC: :33 < hey   
CA: wwell wwell wwell   
CA: look wwhos come crawwlin back   
AC: :33 < im not here to return your advances eridan   
AC: :33 < fur your infurmation im still upset about BOTH of them!   
CA: look i get that im at least twwice as attractivve as any a your other options   
CA: but that doesnt givve you the right to doublecount the only ovverture i evver deigned to make towwards you   
AC: :33 < dont try to play dumb mister   
AC: :33 < you know exactly what im talking about!   
CA: im tellin you i havvent the slightest clue   
AC: :33 < youve b33n drawing on the walls of my cave   
CA: come on nep like i evven havve time for that   
CA: need i remind you that killin these angels is a full time job?   
CA: betwween that an duelin with sol i hardly havve time to go to the bathblock   
CA: wwhere do you get off thinkin i got enough time to hop ovver to your cavve an make like troll vvan gogh   
AC: :33 < n33d i remind YOU that youre my server player?   
AC: :33 < you could easily use sgrub to do that!   
CA: im honestly a bit flattered you think im capable a that   
CA: these controls are so shitty that you cant evven get someone into the game wwithout accidentally throwwing their bathtub through a wwall   
CA: an you think i could a picked up a tiny brush an painted you a fuckin masterpiece   
AC: :33 < well maybe not...   
AC: :33 < but theres no other explanation!   
CA: the one wwho ought to make wwith the explanations is you nep   
CA: i just booted up my servver program and i cant find anythin out a the ordinary in your hivve   
AC: :33 < im talking about all these blackrom ships on my shipping wall!   
AC: :33 < s33?   
CA: i see alright   
CA: an believve you me its nothin i havvent seen before   
AC: :33 < what do you mean?   
CA: i mean that shipping wwall has alwways had blackrom   
AC: :33 < thats impawsible!!! i wouldve noticed them before!   
CA: wwait you mean you didnt draw em   
AC: :33 < of course not   
AC: :33 < i think blackrom is silly   
CA: first of all like hell it is   
AC: :33 < spare me the lecture ampurra   
AC: :33 < like im gonna take that from the guy who cant k33p a kismesis to save his life   
CA: ...   
CA: fuck you   
AC: :33 < >:PP   
CA: an second of all   
CA: ivve got proof   
AC: :33 < is that so  
\-- caligulasAquarium [CA] sent arsenicCatnip [AC] the file "neps_hivve0004.jpg" --  
CA: there are you happy   
AC: :33 < hardly!   
AC: :// < why were you taking pictures of me in my cave?   
AC: :OO < and why do you appurrently have thousands of them???   
CA: havve you evven looked at it its a picture of your hivve not of you   
CA: an thats just sgrubs numbering system for screenshots   
CA: i only havve fivve of them   
AC: :33 < its still really cr33py to do that without getting my purrmission furst!   
CA: quit makin me out to be some sort a skeevvy guy an look at the damn picture   
AC: :33 < okay j33z   
AC: :33 < ummmm   
AC: :33 < its purretty convincing but.....   
AC: :33 < how am i supposed to believe you didnt take it just now   
CA: hmm   
CA: i was gonna tell you to check the metadata but im not sure youre smart enough to know what that means   
AC: :33 < hey!   
CA: so ill just go for something youll comprehend   
CA: youvve been standing in front of it this whole time   
CA: youd be in the shot if i took it from the same angle now   
AC: :33 < oh right   
AC: :33 < wait a second   
AC: :33 < somethings off with this picture...   
AC: :33 < aha! got you   
CA: wwhat noww   
AC: :33 < nice try photoshopping this but you missed a ship   
CA: let me check   
CA: youre right there is one missin   
CA: mustvve been drawn since then   
AC: :33 < oh right ://   
AC: :33 < i furgot the paint was wet on this one   
CA: huh   
CA: wwould you look at that   
CA: my my that nepeta there sure seems to be going to towwn on yours truly   
CA: im honestly flattered nep i didnt knoww you held those types a feelins towwards me   
AC: :33 < i dont! and i told you i didnt draw it!   
AC: :33 < if i did then why would i be upset right now?   
CA: maybe this is all just your weird way a courtin me   
AC: :33 < fat chance!   
CA: but if thats not the case theres only one other explanation   
CA: this reminds me a somethin kan told me about   
AC: :33 < why have you b33n talking to kanaya?   
CA: thats not important right noww   
CA: the point is   
CA: she might be able to help you figure out wwhat happened   
AC: :33 < if you say so   
CA: in fact   
CA: ivve taken the liberty a tellin her to expect you to contact her   
CA: youre wwelcome nep   
AC: :33 < dont try to butter me up ampurra   
AC: :33 < youre not off my cr33p list just yet

arsenicCatnip [AC] ceased trolling caligulasAquarium [CA]

arsenicCatnip [AC] began trolling grimAuxiliatrix [GA]

AC: :33 < hey kanaya!   
GA: Hello Nepeta   
GA: Eridan Told Me To Expect You   
AC: :33 < what else did he tell you   
GA: Only That What You Had To Say Was Of Interest To Me   
AC: :33 < okay well...   
AC: :33 < there is some weird stuff on the walls of my cave that ive never s33n before   
AC: :33 < and eridan insists that most of its b33n there all along   
GA: Is The Stuff On Your Walls Nonsense   
AC: :33 < i certainly think so!   
GA: No I Mean Is It A Long Random String Of Characters   
AC: :33 < uhhhh   
AC: :33 < not exactly   
AC: :33 < its pictures not words   
GA: Strange   
GA: And Tell Me   
GA: Has Your Dreamself Awakened Yet   
AC: :33 < unfurtunately no :((   
GA: Stranger Still   
AC: :33 < whats so weird about that?   
GA: I Should Probably Tell You Of The Precedent In Our Session For This Sort Of Thing   
GA: It Happened To Vriska Tavros And Terezi That I Know Of   
GA: As Vriskas Server Player I Noticed Her Walls Were Covered In Symbols   
GA: Row After Row of 8 r And k In A Seemingly Random Permutation   
AC: :33 < huh   
AC: :33 < thats kinda fureaky if you ask me!   
GA: Agreed   
GA: I Discovered Upon Further Uh   
GA: Research   
GA: That Her Flarp Rulebook Was Covered In The Very Same Symbols   
GA: Thinking It Might Have Important Ramifications For The Game I Didnt Bring It Up With Her   
GA: But She Later Told Me She Noticed Similar Symbols In Her Client Players Hive   
GA: Namely Tavros   
GA: His Symbols Were T 1 C And K   
AC: :33 < tick?   
AC: :33 < oh my god that reminds me!   
GA: What   
AC: :33 < aradias hive had letters on it too!   
AC: :33 < only hers spelled t0ck!   
GA: I Was Intending To Ask You About That As I Had Suspected Aradia Was Involved As Well   
GA: It Appeared To Have Something To Do With Flarping   
GA: Seeing As The Victims Were All Involved In That Fateful Incident   
AC: :33 < but...ive never flarped before   
GA: No But You Seem To Be A Seperate Case Anyway   
GA: Seeing As Whatever Is On Your Walls Isnt Some Sort Of Code   
GA: What Is It Exactly Anyway   
AC: :33 < uh...nothing!   
GA: Nepeta   
AC: :33 < i mean i dont think its purrtinent to our discussion just yet!   
AC: :33 < hey you asked me about my dreamself didnt you   
AC: :33 < what does that have to do with it?   
GA: Well The Others Only Saw The Letters For Themselves Once Their Dreamselves Awakened   
GA: The Exact Same Drawings Lined The Walls Of Each Of Their Respiteblocks In The Towers Of Their Respective Moons   
AC: :33 < but thats impawsible!   
AC: :33 < who would be able to draw something on prospit or derse AND our hives?   
AC: :33 < especially before we even got into the game?   
GA: Well   
GA: How Should I Put This   
GA: You Each Did It Yourselves   
AC: :33 < what?!?   
GA: Bear With Me   
GA: Dreamselves Can Be Restless Before They Wake Up Properly   
GA: They Normally Mirror The Physical Damage Done To True Selves   
GA: And In The Case Of Sleep Walking They Mirror Actions As Well   
GA: So When You All Marked Your Walls In Your Sleep The Markings Appeared In Your Hive And In Your Tower   
AC: :33 < but if thats the case   
AC: :33 < why couldnt we s33 them?   
GA: This Part I Havent Quite Figured Out Yet   
GA: But According To One Of My Sources   
GA: It Is Possible For Your Subconscious To Effectively Obfuscate Your Perception Of Certain Things   
AC: :33 < i dont get what you mean :((   
GA: Well Simply Put   
GA: Whatever It Was That Compelled You To Draw These Things Is Also Capable Of Preventing You From Seeing Your Handiwork   
AC: :33 < compelled us?   
AC: :33 < you mean we were mindcontrolled???   
GA: Er   
GA: In The Case Of The Flarpers I Would Think So   
GA: As There Is No Reason To Believe They Each Had A Code Stashed In Their Mind That Their Subconscious Didnt Want Them To Know About   
GA: So It Was Likely An Outside Source That Provided The Message   
GA: They Did Each Suffer Through That Traumatic Flarping Incident However   
GA: And I Suspect That The Desire To Avoid Reliving It May Have Blocked Their Scrawlings From Their Vision   
GA: Then Their Dreamselves Awakening Was All It Took For Them To Finally Notice Them   
AC: :33 < then why can i s33 mine now?   
AC: :33 < and why couldnt i before?   
AC: :33 < i certainly dont remember suffering a trauma of any kind   
AC: :33 < and my dreamself is still asl33p!   
GA: Like I Said You Seem To Be A Separate Case   
GA: I Only Have My Outside Source To Go By On This   
GA: But It Details A Case Very Similar To Yours So Let Me Ask You Something That Might Shed Light On The Issue   
GA: Have You Had Any Sort Of Startling Revelations Today   
AC: :33 < like what?   
GA: Like Something You Had Long Convinced Yourself Was True Turned Out To Be Completely False   
GA: Or Perhaps Vice Versa   
AC: :33 < well...   
AC: :33 < i guess there was ONE thing that took me by surprise today   
AC: :33 < but im not sure it qualifies   
GA: The Only Requirement Is That Your Perception Of Some Person Or Some State Of Affairs Was Drastically Altered   
AC: :33 < then i guess it counts   
GA: Then That Revelation Is What Triggered Your Ability To Perceive What You Unknowingly Drew   
AC: :33 < how is that even possible?   
AC: :33 < the drawings and the revelation werent related at all!   
GA: Are You Sure About That   
GA: What Was The Revelation   
AC: :33 < uhhhhhhhh   
AC: :33 < something terezi told me   
GA: Really   
GA: Did What She Said Upset You In Any Way   
AC: :33 < not really   
AC: :33 < i was more disappointed than anything   
GA: What Exactly Did You Draw Anyway   
AC: :33 < uhh thats not impurrtant right now   
AC: :33 < but to make things simple lets say they were related   
AC: :33 < then what?   
GA: The Hypothesis My Source Laid Out Goes Like This   
GA: At Some Point In The Past You Noticed Something That Started To Bother You In The Back Of Your Mind   
GA: Rather Than Confront It Directly You Made Up A Comfortable Lie To Explain It Away   
GA: While Awake You Went On Normally Completely Unaware Of It   
GA: But Whenever You Fell Asleep It Would Gnaw At Your Subconscious Provoking You To Draw As A Coping Mechanism   
GA: You Would Then Wake Up Incapable Of Seeing What You Drew The Previous Night   
GA: All Thanks To That Comfortable Lie You Believed So Fully   
GA: But When It Was Suddenly Revealed As False   
GA: You Became Unable To Ignore The Harsh Reality That Made You Draw   
GA: And Became Able To See What You Drew   
AC: :33 < but thats impawsible!!!   
GA: Why   
AC: :33 < beclaws that would mean i actually meant what i drew!   
GA: I Feel Like I Am Missing Out On Vital Context Here   
GA: But I Am Afraid That Is Indeed The Implication   
AC: DDX < arrrrghghghhhhhh!!!   
GA: Its Just A Theory Nepeta   
GA: Are You Sure You Arent Upset With Terezi   
GA: I Wouldnt Mind Talking To Her About It   
GA: Maybe I Could   
GA: Try To Work Things Out Between You Two   
AC: :33 < what?!?   
AC: :33 < nooooooooooo!!!   
AC: :33 < that is the LAST thing i want right now!   
GA: I Didnt Mean To Upset You   
GA: It Was Just An Offer   
AC: :33 < im sorry kanaya but i think i n33d some time to think this ofur   
GA: Okay Nepeta   
GA: Heres Hoping Your Dreamself Wakes Up Soon   
AC: :33 < yeah   
AC: :33 < i hope so too

arsenicCatnip [AC] ceased trolling grimAuxiliatrix [GA]

You toss your tablet on your desk and lie down on the ground in frustration. Did Kanaya seriously just propose she auspiticize between you and Terezi??? It can't be that your predictions are going to come true are they?

Oh God. It just hit you that if Kanaya was right, then that's exactly what they are: _your_ predictions. They seemed so alien to you, but they supposedly originated in your own head. That means that on some level you either expected or—you shudder— _wanted_ them to happen.

You sit up and stare at them across the room. They make you angry, and that they have such a power over you only angers you further. Jumping to your feet, you growl lowly to yourself. What did you do to deserve being saddled with this? You don't like these terrible blackrom ships, and you hate being the person who ships them. It suddenly occurs to you that you don't actually have to be that person.

If you brought them into this world, you can sure as hell take them out.

You walk across the room and open up a can of red paint. Then you pick up a brush and dip it into the can. Letting the drips fall carefully into the bucket, you bring the brush to the wall and start to cover up one of the drawings. As you continue, your brush strokes increase in pace, becoming more sloppy. Your impatience mounts and you stop caring about the drips on the ground. With one over-hasty stroke, you draw a line through one of your redrom ships, but there's no time to worry about collateral damage. You can always redraw them later, after all: you know them by heart.

Only halfway done. You've covered up the worst of them first—the one of you and Eridan and the one of Terezi and Karkat. But the images of the ships you've painted over are still burned into your retinas. You've covered them up! Why won't they just go away?!?

Rage spiking, you ditch the brush and remove your gloves. Eyes wide, you dip your all too eager hands into the bucket, covering them with paint. You turn to the wall and smooth your hands over it, the slick liquid seeping through your fingers. Your pace quickens as you slather the paint across the wall. After plunging them once more into the paint can, your hands whip back and forth across the wall in a frenzy, your breathing getting heavier. A sick grin spreads across your face, and your vision, like the wall in front of you, rapidly turns red.

***

You stare at your paint covered hands, the adrenaline slowly draining from you. Your chest is heaving as you gasp for air and you start to think you might have gotten a little carried away there. The blackrom pairings (as well as much of the surrounding walls, floor, and, to your surprise, ceiling) are completely covered with paint, out of sight and all but out of mind. Soon they will be gone from your memory, as little more than a bad dream.

You yawn wide. Though it was less than an hour ago that you woke up, you now find yourself completely exhausted. You had planned to explore your planet more today and find out more about your land's denizen, but you don't feel up to it anymore. Maybe you should just go back to sleep. You wipe your hands on your shirt, the red paint staining the fabric, and head to your recuperacoon. Sleep comes easier than expected, and you drift off, taking comfort in the fact that you will never see those ships again.

You wake up in an olive room. Looking down, you notice you are wearing a purple dress with a moon on the front. You hop to your feet and rush to the window. Sprawled out far below is a beautiful purple cityscape speckled with spires that seems to contain itself as a fractal does. You can see on the horizon other towers like the one you currently find yourself occupying.

You've finally done it.

You've finally woken up.

Leaving the window, you decide to familiarize yourself with the room your dreamself has slept in far too long. Aside from the olive paint job, it's nearly identical to the respite block of your hive. You survey it all: there's your recuperacoon, your desk, your cholerbear pelts, your blackrom ships, your...

...God fucking dammit.


End file.
